Bienvenidos Guatemala

After 24 hours into my travels to Guatemala I have already experienced so much.  God immediately tested my faith on our flight from Huston to Guatemala City.  While the men on the trip wanted to play some cards, I switched spots with one of them, which left me sitting across from a young man the same age as me from Germany.  I got to talking to him and why we were both traveling to Guatemala and he flat out said, "That´s really great the things missions do, but I really don´t understand the concept of Christianity." So our discussion began, I explained to him our beliefs and he looked at me as if I were crazy.  He questioned why we restrain ourselves from certain humanly wants, and after explaining the practice of control and certain forms of suffering he started to come around or at least I hoped.  We got on the topic on how globally people are always searching from something more, either in people or worldly items...what I didn´t know is that this conversation would turn into reality soon.

As we went our separate ways I wished him the best, and said I would pray for him.  He said he was very happy to meet me.  As I stepped into the airport I looked to the group and quickly remember that when I switched spots, I forgot my jacket was under the seat.  My jacket also had my wallet and iPod in it, so I turned around and a woman stopped me.  Struggling through the language barrier I quickly found out that I was not allowed to go back on the plane, but they´d contact someone.  After about 5 minutes a worker came through the airport carrying my jacket.  I thanked him and as we walked away I realized my pockets had been dug through and my wallet and iPod had been stolen.  As tears welled in my eyes I was so upset and mad at myself for being irresponsible, and also that someone would steal, but as we traveled from Guatemala City to San Lucas I was reflecting on what had just happened and I realized something.

Here I was so upset that my things had been stolen and crying over my money and ipod that  I realized that what had been taken from me were just worldly positions, I can´t take them with me when I go, and often times they are distracters from God. My money and ipod don´t give me happiness, but here I was so upset over it and I had just told the German man that material items don´t provide true joy, it is the love of God that really provides it.  Here for the first time in a long time, God had been my distraction.  If it weren´t for my conversation about religion with the German fellow, I would have never forgotten about my jacket.  I feel like it honestly happened for a reason.  I was able to cancel my credit card and I hope whoever has my cash needs it more than I do, and I hope they like my music list!

Things are quickly changing and it´s only day one.